Let’s Chat: When Your Opinion Is The Unpopular One

The older I get, the more I find myself in situations where my opinion differs from those around me. I embrace this about myself! I have always had a strong personality with lots of opinions and I’m proud that even if they are unique, they represent me. I have never had an issue sharing my opinion, even if I know that people may not always agree.

For years, I listened to everyone talk about The Glass Castle: A Memoir. I heard only wonderful things, everyone around me absolutely loved it. When I finally sat down to read it, my expectations were obviously very high and I couldn’t wait to dig in!

I must have the wrong version! Maybe I’m reading the same title by a different author? So I checked…I had the exact book everyone around me seemed to love. Except I didn’t love it. In fact, quite the opposite.

I read until page 100 or so before I decided that I hated every single thing about that book and needed to call it quits. Would it eventually have gotten better? Maybe…but I wasn’t willing to stick around and find out.

Another example is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium Series). OMG DID I HATE THAT BOOK. Somewhere around 200 pages in, I actually THREW it across the room and it hit my husband’s dresser. The only time in my life where I actually physically needed to just get a book away from me. Far away. Quickly. I could not have hated that book more. Again…would it eventually have gotten better? Possibly…but there was no way I could have stuck it out even for 1 more page. Honestly, I’m impressed that I made it as far as I did.

And lastly… Small Great Things: A Novel. I did read the entire book. I liked it…the story was fascinating, the characters were interesting, and the messages and lessons behind it were so, so very important. However, that book was LONG. And not just a bit long, like 200 pages too long. An almost 500 page book which quite honestly felt like a million pages. In other words, NOT a small great thing (get it?!). I remember reading and thinking that it was never going to end, it was just so LOOOOOOOOONG. Everyone around me was loving it! I liked it, I didn’t love it. Longest book ever written.

It’s hard when your opinion differs so greatly from those around you, but that’s also what makes the best discussions. Which book (s) have you not loved that everyone around you has raved about? Have you read any of the 3 that I mentioned? What did you think of them? Looking forward to reading the comments!

Xo,

Jenny

If you enjoyed this post, check out my previous Let’s Chat posts (the first one listed below is currently my most viewed blog post of all time):

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I read Eleanor Oliphant and thought it was just okay. It was quirky and funny at times but I didn’t get why everyone was raving about it. Same way with Spinning Silver by Naomi Novak. I’ve found that my book tastes often run free from the majority; that’s nothing to be ashamed of! 🙂

You’re not the only one! I find myself disliking some really popular books, such a The Cruel Prince and Caraval. Do you have a review of why you didn’t like the dragon tattoo series? I’ve read the first two and loved them, but I love reading why people didn’t like books I do like… did that make any sense? haha. Great post!

Hi! Thanks so much! I do not have a review of the Dragon Tattoo series because I read it so many years ago and can’t remember specifics. The only specific I remember was the torture I felt with each page I turned, lol. And yes I totally agree, I also love reading why people don’t like books that I do like. I also like doing this with hotels that I love and others don’t, lol. I love reading hotel reviews online after I return from a trip …is that weird???

I often dislike books that other people love and rave about. Such as The Girl on the Train, Big Little Lies, Lovely Bones and (sorry) The Hate You Give. I wasted hours of my life reading those books. I did love the Dragon Tattoo series though.

And THIS is what makes book discussions so wonderful. I find it so interesting how people can disagree so strongly on books! I LOVED all of the books that you mentioned (never read Lovely Bones) but I so HATED that 1st Dragon Tattoo book. There must be a book out there that you and I can agree on….???

That’s what makes the world interesting! I’ve just read The Foxhole Court and thought it was awful but there’s an entire fandom for it that I just don’t get. I’ve also just read Wild (the book the Reese Witherspoon film was based on) and it was ok but loooong. Felt quite bad when I read all the five star reviews from people saying it had changed their lives! Oh well 😉

You’re definitely not the only one. I hated the Cruel Prince by Holly Black for example and gave it a 1-star rating, oops. I just don’t understand how people can love it so much, when I hate it so much, LOL. But that goes the other way around as well. A lot of readers don’t understand my undying love for the Shadowhunter books for example or for Sarah J. Maas and so on.